Sustainable Food Production, Consumption, and the Generation of

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5.0 Conclusion The reader provides a first glimpse of a local perspective on questions arising from reflections over food production, consumption and the generation of waste. Food production is clearly at the center of complex social economic and environmental enquiries. The way we produce food can improve the sustainability of our food systems by reducing fossil fuel emissions, avoiding environmental contamination, preserving biodiversity, building community and supporting local economies. Victoria has the potential to be largely self sufficient with its food production. However, there are still several hurdles to overcome. Current policies need to provide incentives for alternative and sustainable forms of production and restrict food production, which is resource intense and does not take sustainability principles into account. Among the constraints are also the limited availability of land and farmers. Changes also need to happen in personal attitudes and consumer behaviours, not only with respect to food production, but also with the wasting of resources through packaging. There is still far too much wrapping and packaging involved in the daily consumption of food and a significant proportion of our waste is still deposited at landfills. However, the level of consumer awareness is slowly increasing and there is hope that the potential for change through the consumers vote on products 42
might change the wastefulness of consumption towards less wrapping and more biodegradable packaging. Several questions have emerged from this debate and are still unanswered. The discussion suggested that the term ‘local production’ needed to be better defined, since the term can also mean local monocultural, large-scale or corporation-owned production and not necessarily does local suggest production that contributes to the local economy. In the case of corporate owned local production, e.g. little benefits might stay in the local community. What makes consumers change their attitudes? How can the introduction of new, sustainable approaches in the food chain be more successful? How can community gardens and other locally owned and small-scale food production flourish in our fast-food and consumer-oriented society? The survey and literature analysis certainly does not answer all pertinent questions but it can contribute to the necessary process of change in policy framing and in awareness building on the individual level. It is important to bring these issues to the attention of the general public and of the decision taking and policy-making bodies, so that we can achieve healthier food production systems. 6.0 Bibliography AAFC 2005: The agricultural policy framework. Putting Canada First. Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Government of Canada. 27 June 2005. . Ackerman, W.V. 1999. Growth control versus the growth machine in Redlands, California: conflict in urban land use. Urban Geography 20(2): 146-167. ALC 2005: Legislation. Provincial Agricultural Land Commission. Province of British Columbia, Canada. 27 June 2005. . Allen, P., Fitzimmons, M., Goodman, M., and Warner, K. 2003: Shifting plates in the agrifood landscape: the tectonics of alternative agrifood initiatives in California. Journal of Rural Studies, 19, 61-75. Alston, P. 1994: International law and the right to food. In Harriss-White, B. and Hoffenberg, R., editors, Food: Multidisciplinary perspectives, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 205-216. Atkinson, M. a. W., J. 1994: Farmers markets: breathing new life into old institutions. Public Management, 76, 16-20. 43
Page 1 and 2: an online series of research papers
Page 4 and 5: Table on Contents 1.0 Sustainable f
Page 6 and 7: Consumer perception and public poli
Page 8 and 9: 3. What are the policies in place t
Page 10 and 11: 1.7 Key informant interviews analys
Page 12 and 13: 2.) What is the state of the art of
Page 14 and 15: 2.4.1 Conventional agriculture As m
Page 16 and 17: 2.4.2 Alternative food distribution
Page 18 and 19: This research revealed that awarene
Page 20 and 21: esponses 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 4
Page 22 and 23: farmers markets, processors communi
Page 24 and 25: product quality, driven by consumer
Page 26 and 27: comparison of these rates from 2001
Page 28 and 29: variety of ways such as buying beve
Page 30 and 31: motivations to purchase food produc
Page 32 and 33: use a lot of their containers…buy
Page 34 and 35: Gerry Watson Abstract: In Canada po
Page 36 and 37: This focus on profit is strongly su
Page 38 and 39: incentives as it falls under provin
Page 40 and 41: some local produce cannot be bought
Page 42 and 43: Beyond the programs mentioned above
Page 46 and 47: Awai, G. 2005: Correspondence with
Page 48 and 49: Jones, Andy. 2002. An environmental
Page 50 and 51: Pottier, J. 1999: Anthropology of f
Page 52 and 53: Appendix A Sustainable Food Product
Page 54 and 55: Sustainable Food Production and Con

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